North Stafford Church of Christ

080817 - Reclaiming the Family #7 - John Cook

Aug 17, 2008.  Download here or listen with the player below.

Meeting Needs

A Word Study from Proverbs - Fool

Fool - One who is deficient in judgment, sense, or understanding; one who acts unwisely on a given occasion.  - Definition

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 1:22
How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
Proverbs 1:32
For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them
Proverbs 3:35
The wise inherit honor, but fools he holds up to shame.
Proverbs 8:5
You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding.
Proverbs 10:1
The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
Proverbs 10:8
The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.
Proverbs 10:10
He who winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin.
Proverbs 10:14
Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.
Proverbs 10:18
He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.
Proverbs 10:21
The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.
Proverbs 10:23
A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.
Proverbs 11:29
He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise.
Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.
Proverbs 12:16
A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
Proverbs 12:23
A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly.
Proverbs 13:16
Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly.
Proverbs 13:19
A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil.
Proverbs 13:20
He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
Proverbs 14:1
The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
Proverbs 14:3
A fool’s talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.
Proverbs 14:7
Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips.
Proverbs 14:8
The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.
Proverbs 14:9
Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.
Proverbs 14:16
A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless.
Proverbs 14:17
A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated.
Proverbs 14:24
The wealth of the wise is their crown, but the folly of fools yields folly.
Proverbs 14:33
Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known.
Proverbs 15:2
The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.
Proverbs 15:5
A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.
Proverbs 15:7
The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.
Proverbs 15:14
The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
Proverbs 15:20
A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
Proverbs 16:22
Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, but folly brings punishment to fools.
Proverbs 17:7
Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool— how much worse lying lips to a ruler!
Proverbs 17:10
A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool.
Proverbs 17:12
Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
Proverbs 17:16
Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?
Proverbs 17:21
To have a fool for a son brings grief; there is no joy for the father of a fool.
Proverbs 17:24
A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
Proverbs 17:25
A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him.
Proverbs 17:28
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.
Proverbs 18:2
A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.
Proverbs 18:6
A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.
Proverbs 18:7
A fool’s mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
Proverbs 19:1
Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.
Proverbs 19:10
It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury— how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!
Proverbs 19:13
A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.
Proverbs 19:29
Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.
Proverbs 20:3
It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.
Proverbs 21:20
In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.
Proverbs 23:9
Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.
Proverbs 24:7
Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.
Proverbs 26:1
Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.
Proverbs 26:3
A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!
Proverbs 26:4
Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.
Proverbs 26:5
Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.
Proverbs 26:6
Like cutting off one’s feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.
Proverbs 26:7
Like a lame man’s legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
Proverbs 26:8
Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.
Proverbs 26:9
Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
Proverbs 26:10
Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or any passer-by.
Proverbs 26:11
As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
Proverbs 26:12
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Proverbs 27:3
Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but provocation by a fool is heavier than both.
Proverbs 27:22
Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding him like grain with a pestle, you will not remove his folly from him.
Proverbs 28:26
He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.
Proverbs 29:9
If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.
Proverbs 29:11
A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.
Proverbs 29:20
Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Proverbs 30:22
...a servant who becomes king, a fool who is full of food...
Proverbs 30:32
If you have played the fool and exalted yourself, or if you have planned evil, clap your hand over your mouth!

New Internaltional Version - www.biblegateway.com

A.J. Jacobs - The Year of Living Biblically

From Ted.com:

A.J. Jacobs' writings stand at the intersection of philosophy, Gonzo journalism, and performance art. Stubbornly curious and slyly perceptive, he takes immersive learning to its irrational and profoundly amusing extreme -- extracting wisdom and meaning after long stints as a self-styled guinea pig. For his widely circulated Esquire article, My Outsourced Life, he explored the phenomenon of outsourcing by hiring a team in Bangalore, India to take care of every part of his life -- from reading his emails to arguing with his wife to reading bedtime stories to his own son. A previous article, I Think You're Fat, chronicled a brief, cringe-inducing attempt to live his life in Radical Honesty, telling all the truth, all the time.

Jacobs is author of The Know-It-All, which documents the year he spent reading the Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z, uncovering both funny and surprising factoids but also poignant insight into history and human nature. For his latest book, The Year of Living Biblically, he attempted to follow every single rule in the Bible as literally as possible for an entire year.

Burkes

New Vision School Supply Backpacks

School supply backpacks for New Vision.  Thanks to all who helped get these loaded and packed and delivered.

Something to Think About - The Four Soils - Soil #3

Charles Jackson
Aug 19, 2008

"Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants."  (Matt 13:7)

No soil, no matter how rich, is capable of growing a harvest of wheat and a harvest of thorns.  The problem here is to allow the best within us to be choked and dwarfed by the less than best.  If it were a problem in Jesus' day, perhaps it is even a greater problem today...with worldwide communication.

Three kinds of thorns were mentioned (verses 13-23).  The first is worry.  An example is seen in Martha.  She is a beautiful character but she got so worried about dinner, she did not enjoy the guest.  She is in the kitchen rattling pots and pans, calling attention that she has no help   Then, she explodes on the company and made every one uncomfortable.  What's wrong with Martha?  She's growing a thorn.

The second thorn is money.  The Bible never speaks disparagingly of money.  It has no moral worth.  Money receives its moral quality from the hand that holds it.  However, money is absorbing, it grips us, drinks up our energies, rivets our attention and gives us a false sense of security.   Remember Absalom, David's son?  He was rich in good looks, it being climaxed in his hair.  But, it was by his hair that he hung in the oak and waited for a dart through his heart. 

The third thorn mentioned is pleasure.  Is the Christian faith a kill-joy? No.  But, any pleasure, no matter how innocent or good, becomes a thorn if it crowds out something better.

As a lad on a farm in South Arkansas, I spent hours cutting down healthy corn stalks by the hundreds, maybe thousands.  To the uninitiated it would look like ruthless waste.  But, it was done in faith that if soil concentrated itself on fewer stalks it would bring a better yield than squandering itself on many.

Charles is a retired but busy missionary and preacher of the Gospel.  Charles and Mary live in various places (depending on the time of year) but are surrounded in love and respect by family and friends from all over the world.  Charles is a mentor to and supporter of those associated with mission work at NSCofC.  Charles likes to tell stories just like Jesus liked to tell stories.  We reprint with permission.

Love is Spelled T-I-M-E

GoodSearch

From GoodSearch.com:

We all have a cause we care about - whether it's finding a cure for cancer, saving the environment, finding homes for abandoned pets or so many other worthwhile endeavors. But what we don't all have is the time or money to support these efforts as much as we'd like. So, what if we could raise money for our favorite charities and schools by doing something we do every day — searching the Internet?

That's the question Ken Ramberg (the former founder of JOBTRAK, now a division of Monster.com) and JJ Ramberg (an MSNBC anchor and the former Director of Marketing at Cooking.com) asked themselves a few years ago. After realizing what a fraction of the $8 billion generated annually by search engine advertisers could do if it were directed towards organizations trying to make the world a better place, they launched GoodSearch in 2005.

GoodSearch is a search engine which donates 50-percent of its revenue to the charities and schools designated by its users. It's a simple and compelling concept. You use GoodSearch exactly as you would any other search engine. Because it's powered by Yahoo!, you get proven search results. The money GoodSearch donates to your cause comes from its advertisers — the users and the organizations do not spend a dime!

In 2007, GoodSearch was expanded to include GoodShop, an online shopping mall of world-class merchants dedicated to helping fund worthy causes across the country. Each purchase made via the GoodShop mall results in a donation to the user's designated charity or school – averaging approximately 3% of the sale, but going up to 20% or even more.

Ken and JJ wanted to create a means to support charities so that people would say, "Why wouldn't you do it?" That's what GoodSearch does. Since it doesn't cost anything and you get proven search results, there's no reason not to use it!

GoodSearch is dedicated to Ken and JJ's mother, who passed away from cancer and who taught them both that by working together with dogged dedication, we can really make this world a better place.

Spread the word!  Our goal is to help as many nonprofits and schools as possible. We want to help fund the great works they are doing. And, as important as the money, GoodSearch allows people to feel connected to organizations helping to make the world a better place and support them every single day. We believe that "doing good" should be a part of people's everyday lives.

Because we donate such a substantial part of our revenue to the organizations that you designate, we're not spending a lot on advertising. That's why we need your help in spreading the word!

We hope you'll not only use GoodSearch as your main search engine from now on, but will also tell your friends, family and co-workers so they, too, can start using GoodSearch to support their favorite cause!

So ...

Find a cure
Support your school
Provide disaster relief
Protect our environment
Start using GoodSearch today — there's no reason not to!

Awakening Fest 2008

Click on the image for more information.  Be in touch with Misty or Joel for details.